Today in Labor History

The United Farm Workers Union begin their lettuce strike against lettuce growers who would not negotiate contracts with farm workers for decent wages and working conditions. The Salad Bowl strike was a series of strikes, mass pickets, boycotts and secondary boycotts that led to the largest farm worker strike in U.S. history. Shipments of fresh lettuce nationwide virtually ceased, and the price of lettuce doubled almost overnight. Lettuce growers lost $500,000 a day. A state district court enjoined Cesar Chávez personally and the UFW as an organization from engaging in picketing, but both Chávez and the union refused to obey the court's orders. - 1970
graphic: Susan Due Pearcy

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